SuSu is Back and Went to Loveland, Colorado

Time marches on and sort of left me in the dust for a couple of months!

But now I am catching up and over the next few days I plan to add the adventures I had, bringing this all up-to-date.

During my time in Colorado, which was spent mainly in the north-eastern section, or the Front Range as it is called and up close to the Wyoming border, I did manage to make a few day trips to Boulder and Loveland and several other small local towns.

Loveland

Street art is big and Loveland is the art capital of Colorado with some of the most gorgeous sculptures I have seen.

"Molly, Deeter and Susie" is one of my favorites and was created by Loveland's Pat Kennedy, then donated to the city in 2007. It is just one of the many sculptures that appear around just about every corner, in every tiny or large park or public space. It would take days to see them all but I saw enough to know that next time I am there, I will make a point of spending several days exploring. I consider my time there just a taste of what the area holds.

"Persistence of Vision," another sculpture by Pat Kennedy was the first one to catch my eye. Outside the historic Rialto Theatre, it is dedicated to the memory of Phyllis Wallbye who was the Arts editor of the Loveland Reporter-Herald newspaper. And right close to the newspaper office is the charming bike-riding paperboy! Down on the main street, a sleek, stylized cougar rests on the back of a bench and close by, in a tiny park, an apparently controversial, elegant nude woman cuddles her baby. So classically gorgeous, I wonder why anyone would be offended by the sculpture, titled  "Moulding Our Future" by Denny Haskew.

Loveland isn't all bronzes and art. There are also wonderful restaurants and coffee shops that are begging to be visited. From my short time there, I get the laid-back atmosphere and the vibe that to me indicates a lot of gentrification is going on. The lovely old buildings are begging to be restored and it is starting to happen. Some of them have been gutted and converted to very expensive condos.

Loveland is snug up against the base of the Rockies, so ski areas are very close, plus it is not far from Denver so it could possibly become a bedroom community which would be a shame, really, as it has so much charm now.

Next time I am in Colorado, I will make sure I go back to Loveland and take in more of the sites. It most likely won't be in the winter as I am not much of a snow person, so watch for updates next spring.

Another Granny Travels

Granny Susu has been having senior moments and hasn't posted for a while!

That doesn't mean I haven't been busy! In fact, I met with a granny who is more adventurous than me, by far. Jeanne Socrates is a 70-year old granny from England, who just finished her third - yes, her third - single handed, around the world non-stop, unassisted sailboat voyage! It took 259 days to go from Victoria all the way south and wind back at the starting point on July 8.

Jeanne is an amazing lady - she is fit, very positive and down to earth about the whole thing. She said, when I asked her about fixing things that go wrong or break on the boat, "It helps to be logical." She endured knock downs, storms, broken computers, wind vanes and a multitude of other breakages, being becalmed and the frustration of drifting off the coast of Vancouver Island, within spitting distance of the finish as the wind died. She hails from England, but her boat is her home. When I got there, she had been in port for several days but the boat was chaotic! A huge box with her new radar array was taking up most of the main salon, there was stuff everywhere and I thought she would be anxious to get on land for a while - but she wasn't! She has one picture taped up on the bulkhead - her three grandchildren who will have great stories to tell about their grandma!

But she was short on hugs, which don't translate well over the radio! She got a lot on her arrival and as people kept showing up on the dock to congratulate her. She kept a blog going, which you can read here.

Jeanne only started sailing in her late 40s when she and her now-passed-on husband took early retirement to go cruising, something she recommends everyone should do.

"Life is precious," she said. "Make the most of it."

They had several years of sailing together before cancer took him and now part of her mission is to raise money for the Marie Curie Cancer Care, which according to their description, "provides high quality nursing, totally free, to give people with terminal cancer and other illnesses the choice of dying at home, supported by their families. It runs nine Marie Curie Hospices across the UK offering free specialist care for patients and support for families. The charity conducts palliative care research to find better ways of caring for terminally ill people and also funds scientists who investigate the causes and treatments of cancer."

Jeanne appreciates any support you can give.

The article I am writing will be in a future issue of Sailing Magazine - not sure which, but I will post it here when it is published.

Gin Tasting in Roche Harbor

Another fun jaunt! This one for an article for the summer issue of  Harbors Magazine. This time, I took the Kingston ferry over to Edmonds. The Kenmore Air Base on Lake Washington is just 15 or so minutes from there. I thought I was going directly to Roche Harbor on San Juan Island, but I was shuttled (by seaplane) to Lake Union. The short flight, about 10 minutes was very cool though and I had a young woman pilot! I was the only one on board, too but chose to not fly right seat as the windows in the back are bigger! Even though it was a misty day, the view was spectacular! At Lake Union I changed planes to the bigger Otter that seats 11 people. I flew right seat which is always a kick, especially taking off and landing!

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The flight is less than an hour and we came in from the west with the marina laid out below. OK - so this is where the money is! Roche Harbor Marina puts Newport Beach, California to shame. These boats are big and well maintained, and you can tell they are used as boats, not party platforms.

But I wasn't there to look at boats!

Hawk Pingree, one of the owners of the San Juan Island Distillery and Westcott Bay Cider picked me up outside the lovely old Roche Harbor Lime & Cement Works building that sits right on the dock. He was driving a cute little blue Mini with the license plate Distiller - so I couldn't miss him. Of course, I could have walked but it was a little drippy so appreciated the ride.

The next couple of hours was very educational and I learned a lot about cider making and distilling spirits! The ultimate goal behind the distillery is to produce Calvados, the lovely apple brandy popular in France. But that takes at least three years to mature, so Suzy and Hawk decided to produce something that takes a lot less time - gin! And what makes their gin so special is that they forage for the botanicals to make their gins. Things like rose hips, orris root, madrone bark and local juniper berries. They brew small batches in their Portuguese pot still and vary the ingredients, depending on the season. The also brew a wide range of othe spirits including Apple Eau de Vie, Blackberry Brandy and cocktails like Red Sky at Night, a popular one with the yachties, which is a clever blend of Spy Hop Gin, Lavender and Wild Rose Liqueur and Westcott Bay Cider Syrup.

Westcott Bay Cider bucks the flavoring trend and produces three wonderful ciders - Traditional Very Dry, Traditional Dry and Traditional Medium Sweet - all of which have clean, clear flavors.

Even though it was a gray day and at times, rather drizzly, there was a steady flow of visitors ready to taste test all the wares! And as I considered myself a visitor, I taste tested right along with them! And I was so impressed! I'm a gin lover so when we got to the gin tasting... well, I broke down and bought a bottle of Salish Juniper Spy Hop Gin! It's distilled using wild roses, blackberries, lavender and madrone bark with local tiny juniper berries. This is the most amazing gin - sip it neat - I cannot imagine diluting it or adding anything to it, the flavor is just so special.

Time ran out and Hawk took me back to the harbor and I watched my ride materialize over the water and gently land in the harbor among all the boat, then taxi to the dock. We loaded up and made the return flight back to Lake Union and then to the Kenmore base.

I was home by 8 pm, still light outside and well informed about cider brewing and gin distilling - and wondering how difficult it would be to set up a still in the garage! Hmmm... let's see... Sand Spit Gin, Bridgehaven Brew....

San Juan Island Distillery and Westcott Bay Cider 12 Anderson Lane, Roche Harbor 360 378-2606

Jazz at the Ajax

I love the Ajax Cafe in Port Hadlock. I've been going there since - well, way back when! Back when a man named Lonny owned it and was the chef. At that time, the place was cramped and dollar bills, women's undies and heaven knows what else was pinned to the ceiling with the restaurant's own cutlery! And the walls held a wild assortment of hats! As Lonny cooked, flames would flare in the kitchen which was open to the restaurant. Today's Ajax is a bit more refined - but not enough to lose its appeal. And the hats sill adorn the walls; from tricorns, to sunhats; from cowboy hats to garden party affairs. No chair matches any other and the menus still appear in LP covers dating back to when music came on large, black plastic disks.

So last night's visit was in honor of my friend Jim whose jazz band was playing. They are going to be playing there on Tuesday nights, from 6-8. Mardelle, Jim's wife and several of her friends, including me, sat at the groupie table! What fun! The restaurant was packed, some wearing silly hats, others just getting silly over drinks!

The menu focuses on local, with grassfed beeffrom Short's Family Farm, wild caught fish and the freshest, local veges from Red Dog Farms and poultry from Spring Rain Farms. I don't think I have ever had a bad meal there. And Ryan, who goes to some very high-end restaurants in Hollywood and LA, loves the place and the food. So high praise indeed!

Last night, I opted for the clam chowder, for the first time. And was blown away! This is not ordinary clam chowder - this is filled with real, whole clams in their shells, not a lot of potato and the most delicious, creamy broth. I think I just found my all-time favorite clam chowder.

Ajax Cafe - 21 Waters Street, Port Hadlock, Wa

(360) 385-3450

Open for Dinner Tuesday through Sunday, at 5pm. Closed Mondays

Seattle's Underground Tour

You must understand that the last two posts, on the Seattle Wheel and to Chihuly Glasshouse and Garden and this one all happened IN ONE DAY! What a sensory overload! But I loved every minute of it. This is something I have wanted to do but never got around to, since I moved up here to the Pacific Northwest 26 years ago. It's taken me this long to go Underground Seattle.  Years ago, when a group of us came over from Port Townsend to do up the town, we were at a jazz club in Pioneer Square and I saw a sign for Bill Spiedel's Underground Tour. That was when I learned that the current city of Seattle is built right on top of the original city!

But I learned more from the tour - that the original city fathers neglected to factor in the tides when building the original city, with major consequences. Some not too pleasant, like sewage backing up and exploding uphill in the houses on the bluffs; building being swamped on the incoming tides and the eventual rebuilding of the city after a disastrous fire wiped it out.

Walking through the dusty corridors, listening to our chipper tour guide, you can imagine what it must have been like. Of course, the rooms and old sidewalks are all reinforced and there is electric light down there, but looking up, the old purple-tinged glass lights or prisms are a reminder of times gone by.

Bill Speidel's Underground Tour

608 First Ave, in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, between Cherry Street and Yesler Way.

[206] 682 4646

Ticket Prices

$16.00 Adults (18-59 yrs) $13.00 Seniors (60+ yrs) $13.00 Students (13-17 yrs or w/valid college ID) $8.00 Children (7-12 yrs) Kids 6 and under are admitted free, but may find the 75-minute tour challenging

Eye Candy

That same weekend that Ryan was visiting, I was trying to keep pace with what he wanted to see and do. Our next stop in Seattle after the Great Wheel was the Chihuly Glass House and Garden. I had seen the Chihuly Bridge of Glass in Tacoma but hadn't even heard about the Glass House and Garden! Shows how isolated and out of touch I have been. This place should be on every person's bucket list. What an awe-inspiring, mind-blowing, spectacular place! The colors, the art, the the the the ....just everything! How beautiful!

And to be able to see it with my wonderful son was the icing on the cake.

This is a place that defies description. It is eye candy for the soulr. It is a place you have to experience. And although photos don't do it justice, I took a lot of pictures. Interior lighting was spectacular, illuminating the art so it stood out from an often black infinite space.  Impossible colors pop and even though there are numerous people around, I felt as if this was done just for me.

The gardens were a mind-blowing experience, and I can only wonder what it would have been like if the sun had been out! Complementary colors, shape against shape, impossible colors glowing among nature's own, natural flowers.

How could I have missed seeing this place? Now I know it's there and whenever a visitor comes to my house,  this is on the  list of must-sees.

I do have one suggestion, though. DO NOT take small children! There is just far too much priceless glass around for exuberant youngsters! Send them to Grandma's house and show them the pictures later! You will be so on edge and nervous, making sure they don't touch anything, that you won't be able to enjoy the beauty.

Chihuly Garden and Glass

305 Harrison St Seattle, WA 98109

HOURS

Sunday - Thursday	10am  –  9pm
Friday & Saturday	10am  –  10pm

Regular	Ages 13-64	$19
King County Special	Ages 13+	$15
Senior	Ages 65+	$17
Youth	Ages 4-12	$12
Child	3 and Under	Free

Being Brave

I've been a real slacker, not posting in the last month. Now I will try to catch up. So my adventures may not be in chronological order and I might do several shorter posts.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Do one thing everyday that scares you."

A couple of weeks ago, Ryan came to visit for the weekend and as he just can't sit still, we were on the move ... a lot! And the first thing he wanted to do was to ride the Seattle Great Wheel. Ferris wheels scare me. Heights scare me. So to get on that thing took a lot of talking to myself! And of course I did it because Ryan wanted to, and Mum's usually end up doing what their kids want, regardless of age!

I had no idea we would do that many revolutions! At the start, the attendant pointed out the red panic button in the gondola and I was sorely tempted! As the wheel started to move, my knees went weak and I thought I would either throw up or pee myself! Lucky for me, I did neither. But I could not look down! Looking out the side was ok and each rotation, it got a bit easier. When I was able to look out, the view was phenomenal! From the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound in the west, north up the Puget Sound and east looking out at the beautiful Seattle skyline to the Cascades. Then south over the dock area and the big cranes and ships that line the waterfront.

But I did it and I could probably do it again - if I absolutely had to.Finally, after five big long times around, we were released and boy, was I glad to be on terra firma.

Hours of Operation:

1301 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA

Monday-Thursday      11 AM-10 PM Friday                               11 AM-Midnight Saturday                          10 AM-Midnight Sunday                             10 AM-10 PM

Adult $13 Child $8.50 And if you are very brave you can get the VIP package - Great Wheel VIP $50.00 / each The VIP gondola is the special luxury gondola with four leather bucket seats and a GLASS floor.

Exciting Week

It's been a very busy week! But a fun one, for sure. And I think that a lot of the reason I am getting out and about more, is that I have a decent car. The old Leaky Beasty was a blessing while I had it, but being able to drive something that I know is reliable, relatively good on mileage and so comfortable makes a huge difference in how I feel!

As I mentioned in my last post, I was ready to fly, and fly I did. You can read about that adventure here.

The following day, there was an invitation to a benefit luncheon and fashion show. Mardelle had invited me and Susan to go, so off we went. What a blast! I had been to one of these about five years ago. It is put on by a group called Working Image and what the organization does, is help people who don't have the funds who need clothes to enable them to go to interviews and to go to work. They do a wonderful job and every year, they put on a fashion show. So that's what it was all about. And to make it even more fun, it was a 50's theme, with all the volunteers in 50's outfits like poodle skirts and bobby sox! And the men were the waiters (who collected tips) as the entire place was filled with women - 200 of them! Yes, noisy but fun. Some of the guests also dressed in "costume" but you could tell, these were clothes that they had in their closets - they did not have to go out to buy anything! We sat at the Pat Boone table! Good food, wine and rock and roll!

I took a lot of video - so now it's working out how to put it all together is a comprehensive presentation.

As if I hadn't had enough excitement for the week, last night I went to a very interesting fund raiser. Again, Mardelle invited me, as she said "it's in your neck of the woods," and it was. I am out of practice when it comes to small talk and schmoozing but I got into it quite quickly! I was also volunteered to take pix, which of course I was happy to do.

The fundraiser was for an education program called The Clemente Course in the Humanities. The way it's described on the site says it all:

The Clemente Course in the Humanities® is a unique educational institution founded in 1995 to teach the humanities at the college level to people living in economic distress. The course works in conjunction with faculty from leading colleges and universities on five continents. Students learn through dialogue about moral philosophy, literature, history, art history, critical thinking, and writing.

More than ten thousand students worldwide have attended a Clemente course, and over fifty percent have successfully completed it.

The aim of the course is to bring the clarity and beauty of the humanities to people who have been deprived of these riches through economic, social, or political forces. While the course is not intended as preparation for college, many students have gone on to two- and four-year colleges.

There is no tuition; books are provided, and the college credits offered in most courses are readily transferable to other institutions. In addition to free tuition and books, access to child care and transportation is provided without charge.

The people there were very interesting and the house was absolutely gorgeous, high on a hill with wonderful views. I could see my little community from the deck. Music was provided by a cute couple who not only played but put on a bit of a comedic act as well! A delicious salmon dinner and plenty of wine made the evening even more memorable. A couple of young women, graduates of the program spoke, explaining how the program had helped them climb out of poverty and drug abuse to become productive members of society. I think there were a lot of people writing check when we left.

I know this blog is supposed to be about travel and local tourism. But I think I can stretch my parameters with events like this, don't you?

Although there isn't a lot of planning I can do just yet for my New Zealand trip, I am going to meet a prospective housesitter next weekend! Once I have that nailed down, I will feel much more like the trip will happen!